Non-Traditional Wedding Venue Ideas

Non-Traditional Wedding Venue Ideas

Traditional weddings can be remarkable and incredibly beautiful, but getting married in a church, a wedding hall or a hotel is not everyone’s idea of the perfect big day. If you and your spouse-to-be are looking for something much more unconventional to express your unique personalities and relationship together as a couple, the wedding venue and wedding catering possibilities are limitless. This can sometimes make it much more difficult to decide, so here a few non-traditional wedding venue ideas to spark your imagination and help ensure you and your special day stand out.

Amusement Park Wedding

Looking for a fairytale wedding? Perhaps you’re dying to recite your vows while experiencing roller-coaster thrills and chills? For the kid at heart, why not tie the knot at one of your favorite amusement parks? From Disney Theme Parks to Six Flags, there are plenty of options to accommodate you and your wedding party with many of the popular destinations offering traditional and unique wedding packages that include flowers, accommodations, and more. If you’re not sold on having the entire wedding at a theme park, you can now opt to rent your own inflatable ‘bouncy castle’ (yes this is an actual thing) to bring a little bit of theme park fun to your outdoor wedding venue.

Beach Wedding

Probably one of the more slightly “traditional” of the non-traditional wedding venues, a beach wedding is a fantastic option for a more casual yet picturesque setting. Whether you’re walking down the aisle barefoot on the sand or elevated on a platform situated on the cliffs above the waves, a beach wedding is a wonderful way to celebrate for those ocean and outdoor aficionados who want to say “I do” accompanied by the sun, sand, and cool sea breeze.

At Sea Wedding

If you love the ocean but prefer to be on the high seas rather than stranded on the shore, then consider getting married on a boat. From private charters that hold over 100 people to yachts and intimate sailboats perfect for a small wedding, there are numerous options for the sailing-spirited couple seeking an offshore adventure.

Extreme Wedding

More of a concept rather than a venue idea, extreme weddings are perfect for the adrenaline junkie. By incorporating your favorite extreme sport like skydiving, bungee jumping, hang gliding, rock climbing, or scuba diving into your wedding ceremony it will be a day you and your guests will likely never forget. It’s unlikely you’ll get your parents, grandparents and other relatives to participate in the action, but if it fits your personality and lifestyle as a couple to go extreme then you can still incorporate a traditional dinner, dancing and cake after quite literally ‘taking the plunge’.

Garden Wedding

Similar to a beach wedding, beginning your marriage in a beautiful outdoor garden is not as unconventional as some of the others on this list, but still can offer a quite unique environment. Chic wedding venues falling into this category like the Quail Botanical Gardens in San Diego, the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Washington DC or Saddlerock Ranch in Los Angeles offer a diverse variety of flora and fauna for any nature lover.

Library/Museum Wedding

Photo by Daderot (Wikimedia Commons)

In “Sex and the City: The Movie” when Carrie Bradshaw enters the New York Public Library to return her past-due library books, she realized the perfect space for a wedding was right under her nose the entire time. It’s fairly difficult to compete with the architecture of libraries and museums in numerous cities across the world. Many of these buildings offer classic or even modern style and sophistication on a grand scale.

Historic Building Wedding

LA Union station

If you’ve perhaps already considered having your wedding at one of the many historic libraries or museums, you should also look into other types of public buildings that can easily provide the best backdrop for your perfect day. Explore planetariums, concert halls like Dar Constitution Hall in Washington DC, or even train stations like Union Station in Los Angeles and Grand Central Station in New York City.

Lighthouse Wedding

Lighthouses are strategically placed along high coastal bluffs for obvious reasons, but this also means that they boast some of the best views of all. Contrary to popular belief and the fact that ships now more heavily rely on GPS, most of the lighthouses are still lit at night as a useful and active aid for maritime navigation. In fact, according to Jeremy D’Entremont, a maritime historian and author who has researched American lighthouses for more than 30 years, approximately 60 to 70 percent of the country’s 800 or so lighthouses are still active today. Talk about some fabulous lighting effects for the dance floor.

Sports Venue Wedding

If you and your spouse-to-be are of the die-hard sports fan variety, then why not celebrate your special day in the place where your favorite team plays? It’s a great way to show your team pride and also get an inside perspective that you may not normally get to experience when attending a game. It’s not everyday you can be out on the stadium playing field or in a skybox overlooking where the all action takes place. In addition, most sporting venues are also very centrally located to hotels, restaurants, and other points of interest, making it a very convenient place to publicly declare your love for your number one fan.

Winery Wedding

Photo by www.bigcorkvineyards.com

Wineries are ideal if you love an outdoor setting or a quaint and rustic country feel and also enjoy sipping on the “nectar of the gods”. It’s a great opportunity to bring your guests with you to visit various vineyards and wineries in the area and then end up at at your favorite one for the ceremony and reception that can all be easily held in one location. It’s also a perfect option if you’re looking for something that elegant yet also relaxed and not too formal.

Zoo Wedding

Photo by Natasha Clark, www.louisvillezoo.org

Are you an animal lover? Maybe you’re dying to go on a safari but you’re worried about the wildlife snatching your wedding cake (or one of your slower-moving relatives and dragging them into the bushes)? If that sounds too complicated or nerve-wracking, you might want to opt for a zoo wedding. Many zoos and animal parks offer lush grounds and beautiful scenery as well as awesome photo opportunities with your favorite beasties. They also offer unique wedding packages for special events and have specific areas to safely hold your own dream wild country safari wedding.